Saudia gets exclusive rights to screen Bilal before its release

Source: Saudia. Saudia passengers will be able to see Bilal before its global release next year.

Dubai-based animation and visual effects studio Barajoun Entertainment has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA), giving the airline the exclusive rights to screen Bilal: A New Breed of Hero on their in-flight entertainment starting November 1 2017.

Guests of SAUDIA will have exclusive access to the film before its global release in February 2018. Bilal will be added to SAUDIA’s 3,000 hours of entertainment content onboard from movies, TV shows, games to music options.

Bilal is the first computer graphics feature film fully produced in Dubai, UAE. The movie, about overcoming obstacles no matter how hard it might seem to be, is inspired by the historical story of Bilal Ibn Rabah. Bilal, who lived 1,500 years ago, was a slave born in Makkah and one of the companions of the prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).

In the movie Bilal dreams of becoming a great warrior, but is kidnapped with his sister Ghufaira and sent to a land far away from home. Thrown in a world where greed and injustice rule all, Bilal finds the courage to raise his voice and make a change.

Commented Dr Fahad Al-Jarboa, SAUDIA VP, Marketing and Product Management: “As part of our continuous efforts to provide a wide selection of meaningful and latest entertainment options on SAUDIA flights, Bilal joins other recently introduced titles for all our guests to enjoy.”

Bilal is produced by Ayman Jamal and directed by Ayman Jamal and Khurram H. Alavi. The international cast includes Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (The Mummy Returns) in the role of Bilal, China Anne McClain (A.N.T. Farm) as teen Ghufaira, Jacob Latimore (The Maze Runner) as teen Bilal and Ian McShane (Kung Fu Panda) as Umayyah.

Image Nation Abu Dhabi presents On Arab Geographies

Image Nation Abu Dhabi, a media and entertainment company, and independent film platform Cinema Akil, are presenting for the first time in Abu Dhabi On Arab Geographies, a film programme dedicated to showcasing films from across the Arab world and beyond. The programme aims to showcase a broad spectrum of critically-acclaimed contemporary Arab films around the notion of geography.

The programme is curated by Rabih El Khoury, Program Manager of Talents Beirut, a Programmer at ALFILM the Arab Film Festival in Berlin, Germany and a member of the administrative board of the Metropolis Association. On Arab Geographies will screen a total of eight films that include feature length and short narratives, documentaries from UAE, Egypt, Sudan, Iraq, Tunisia and Lebanon, among others.

Gehad Darwish, spokesman from Image Nation Abu Dhabi said: “Our vision at Image Nation is to create opportunities for Arab talent to tell their stories, and provide them with the right platform to showcase, network and share their ideas with the audience. It is also an opportunity for local audiences to discover the breadth and depth of Arab films and support their local filmmakers. We are very pleased with this collaboration with Cinema Akil and the great selection of films and narratives curated by the brilliant Rabih El Khoury.”

The lineup will showcase titles including Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania’s documentary feature Zainab Hates the Snow and Amna Al Nowais’s short film, Omnia.

The programme will also include panel discussions and Q&A sessions with the filmmakers and film experts that shed light on the opportunities and challenges of film-making in the region, plus discussions on the different geographies of the Arab world.

El Khoury also commented: “This programme aims to be a travelogue throughout the Arab world and beyond. A journey that is not only shaped by mobility and movement within a set of geographical entities, but also one that is led by internal wanderings, and individual efforts to find hope.”


Butheina Kazim, Co-Founder and MD of Cinema Akil said: “The main objective of the programme is to cater to an increasingly wide audience interested in contemporary Arab cinema and storytelling in addition to adding to the thriving cultural scene in Abu Dhabi. The programme is also in line with Cinema Akil and Image Nation Abu Dhabi’s shared vision of providing a consistent platform for showcasing contemporary Arab cinema.”

The On Arab Geographies film programme is aligned with the #SupportArabCinema campaign by Image Nation, which encourages local audiences to support Arab films and filmmakers in the region.

Interested?

The On Arab Geographies programme of screenings and talks will be held in Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi, UAE from 4 till 6 May, 2017.

The programme is open to the public and free of charge.

posted from Bloggeroid

Ibn al-Haytham’s Light Film Contest deadlines extended

Source: Mustafa Prize.

The organisers of the Ibn al-Haytham’s Light Film Contest in Iran have extended the deadline for registration in the face of overwhelming participation. More than 10 thousand students in groups of two or three have registered in this contest to date.

According to the Public Relations Department of the Mustafa Prize, the original deadline for registration was December 31, 2015 while the deadline for film submission was February 11, 2016. Students can now register themselves and submit their films with the subject of light and its applications at the same time at http://noor.mustafaprize.org. The extension of the registration of the contest to February 11, 2016, has pushed back other dates. The winners and selected films will be announced April 22, 2016 instead.

The prizes for the contest have also changed, from 100 Bahar Azadi gold coins to 200, and another 100 winners added for a total of 200. Top 10 schools and research centers, based on arbitration will receive 100 million rial grants to equip their laboratories.

The Ibn al-Haytham’s Light Film Contest aims to familiarise the students with optic sciences, light and its applications. Under the rules, each team of two or three must make a one-minute film on a relevant topic. More than 300 films are available at http://noor.mustafaprize.org as samples.

The Tehran and Fars provinces have the most registered students so far and the Razi research centre in Shiraz tops the list of registrars with more than 350 groups registered for this competition. Afarinesh research centre from Tehran district 4 and Avicenna research centre from Tehran district 15 are next with more than 200 groups registered.